Finally! Sarto’s opens with Laird at the kitchen helm

After a seemingly endless wait, Sarto’s Italian Eatery opened Tuesday in the Jefferson Park district of Denver, anchoring the southwest corner on the historic square at 2900 W. 25th Ave. The sister spot, Sarto’s Pantry, will open next month.

Led by entrepreneur Taylor Swallow, his wife Kajsa, and award-winning Executive Chef Brian Laird, Sarto’s offers metropolitan Italian “tailored” cuisine in a food-and-drink-forward social environment. “We’re so fortunate to have Brian on board because of his experience and track record, and we know his food is going to be spectacular,” Taylor said. “The incredible thing about Brian is that when he is cooking, what he is creating isn’t about him; it’s about engaging the guest and the experience they want to have. That is rare to find.”

At Sarto’s, Chef Laird is bringing a piece of today’s metropolitan Italy to Denver.  “The beauty of the food scene in Italy is that you have this incredible blend of the old and the new, the centuries old recipes, classic and simple, blended with modern, global influences. It’s amazing,” Laird said. The menu is ingredient-driven and will change seasonally.

Named for the Italian word “tailor,” Sarto’s is focused on providing an experience that is fit to their individual guests, from dish “alterations” to tailored protein portions. In addition to the exceptional cuisine that Chef Laird is known for, there is great buzz about Sarto’s cicchetti bar, a chef’s table style bar where guests can chat with the chef and sample authentic Italian small bites of every configuration. “You can’t beat having that kind of personal interaction with someone’s dining experience, creating for them and hopefully introducing them to something new,” Laird said.

The owners designed the turn-of-the-century space to be clean, simple and comfortably sophisticated. “We wanted to work with the great bones of the building to create a simple backdrop for Sarto’s that was warm and inviting,” Swallow said. Working with Matt Lawton of Sexton Lawton Architecture, Tom Sprung of Sprung Construction, Kirsten Brundage of The Interior and Lacroux Streeb Lighting Design, the space has been transformed into something unexpected and classically handsome.

Open Tuesday through Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m, Sarto’s is 4,000 square feet and can accommodate 60 guests in the dining room and another 30 guests between the bar and cicchetti bar. Sliding walls allow part of the dining room to be closed off for meetings, private tastings or parties of up to 24 guests. Another 30 al fresco seats are available for Denver’s warm weather months.

Sharing the space’s north side storefront is Sarto’s Pantry, a gourmet market and deli where guests can purchase many of the ingredients used by Laird, including pre-packaged handmade pastas, or enjoy a casual dining experience. Pantry guests choose from panini, pizza, soup, salads, or meat and cheese boards to take home or enjoy onsite with a glass of wine. Sarto’s Pantry will open on November 3 and will be open 11 to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

“I think my favorite part of Sarto’s is that guests can enjoy a different experience every time they com” Swallow said. Whether it is an afternoon to enjoy light bites at the cicchetti bar, a great multi-course dinner experience, a cooking class or a casual outing to Sarto’s Pantry, every visit and experience will be different.”